Humans news stories

Ancient handprints on cave walls in Spain found to include children’s hands
17th March 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

A trio of researchers from Universidad de Cantabria and the University of Cambridge has found evidence suggesting that up to a quarter of all ancient handprints found on cave walls in Spain were made using children’s hands.

This Beautiful Reconstruction of a Stone Age Woman Feels Almost Like Time Travel
17th March 2022 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

A Stone Age woman who lived 4,000 years ago is leaning on her walking stick and looking ahead as a spirited young boy bursts into a run, in a stunning life-size reconstruction now on display in Sweden.

Scientists claim hairy black holes explain Hawking paradox
17th March 2022 | bbc.co.uk | Humans, Space, Weird

Scientists say they have solved one of the biggest paradoxes in science first identified by Prof Stephen Hawking.

Our universe may have a twin
16th March 2022 | livescience.com | Earth, Humans, Space, Weird

A wild new theory suggests there may be another “anti-universe,” running backward in time prior to the Big Bang.

New Experiments Hint Human Language Likely Didn’t Start With Grunts
16th March 2022 | sciencealert.com | Humans, Misc.

Our ability to elaborately communicate is one of humanity’s greatest superpowers. It allows us to retain and build knowledge across generations, cooperating at a global scale unlike anything else seen on Earth. But much about how this ability evolved is still a mystery, including its origins.

Ancient tombs and sarcophagus unearthed beneath Paris’ Notre Dame
16th March 2022 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Humans

Archaeologists discover burial sites “of remarkable scientific quality” below the fire-damaged cathedral

Early warning system catches asteroid hours before it smashes into Earth
15th March 2022 | independent.co.uk | Humans, Space, Tech

Astronomers and the European Space Agency’s planetary defence community recently spotted an asteroid just hours before it struck the Earth

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD could save the health care system millions of dollars, study suggests
14th March 2022 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

New research provides evidence that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can improve and extend lives of patients with chronic and severe posttraumatic stress disorder while also reducing healthcare costs. The findings have been published in the journal PLOS One.

Three centuries on, a shaman’s precious rune drum returns home
14th March 2022 | theguardian.com | Humans

On 7 December 1691, a precious rune drum, created to help a noaidi, or shaman, to enter a trance and walk among spirits, was confiscated by the authorities. The owner, Anders Poulsson – or Poala-Ánde in the name’s Sámi form – was tried for witchcraft the following year.

Pi day: A brief history of our fascination with this magical number, from pies to ‘piems’
14th March 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

Imagine a cup of tea. Wrap a piece of string around the circumference of the cup, and measure the length of the string.

The Touching Reason Prehistoric People May Have Collected And Reused Old Tools
14th March 2022 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

Prehistoric sites are full of stone tools that appear to have two life cycles: They’ve been crafted, used, and discarded before being picked up a second time and used again. A new study puts forward an interesting hypothesis as to why this is.

The human brain would rather look at nature than city streets
10th March 2022 phys.org | Animal Life, Earth, Humans

There is a scientific reason that humans feel better walking through the woods than strolling down a city street, according to a new publication from UO physicist Richard Taylor and an interdisciplinary team of collaborators.

Amazon rainforest reaching tipping point, researchers say
10th March 2022 | bbc.co.uk | Animal Life, Earth, Humans

A study suggests the world’s largest rainforest is losing its ability to bounce back from damage caused by droughts, fires and deforestation.

Demand grows for UK ministers to reclassify psilocybin for medical research
10th March 2022 | theguardian.com | Humans, Misc.

People suffering debilitating cluster headaches say the active ingredient in magic mushrooms is a help.

Predators Have Evolved to Not Overexploit Their Resources. Can Humans Do The Same?
8th March 2022 | sciencealert.com | Animal Life, Earth, Humans

People have been trying to understand how predators and prey are able to stay balanced within our planet’s ecosystems for at least 2,400 years. The Greek author Herodotus even raised the question in his historical treatise Histories, written around 430 BC.

Rare Pictish symbol stone found near potential site of famous battle
8th March 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

Archaeologists have uncovered a Pictish symbol stone close to the location of one of the most significant carved stone monuments ever uncovered in Scotland.

News stories covering humans, psychology and health.